Apparatus for moistening tobacco bales



April 8, 1969 H. s'rcKLcKER APPARATUS FOR MOISTENING TOBACCO BALES Sheet Filed Jan. 3l, 1967 lnnln E Allll lll III 1 t INYEN'II'OR. Wm MMM,

I April s, 1969 lFiled Jan. s1, 1967 H. srcKLcKER APPARTUS FOR MOISTENING TOBACCO BALES sheet ,Z ofz 1 wim-ORv United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 131-136 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for moistening tobacco bales, in which a plurality of movable carrying grates supporting tobacco bales is moved through a tunnel having doors at each end for completely closing the tunnel, in which at least one current of moist air is fed through. At predetermined intervals, the same number of carrying grates are removed from the tunnel as are fed into the tunnel, so that all tobacco bales are equally subjected to an even moistening thereof. The grates are sealed against each other and against the longitudinal walls of the tunnel by elastic packing strips. In addition, the grates at each end of the tunnel are sealed against the tunnel doors by similar strips. The sealing by the strips eifectively divides the t-unnel into separate upper and lower portions.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for moistening tobacco bales, which rest on a horizontal grating and are treated by means of moist air circulating through the bales and the grating.

A process is already known where the bales which rest on the grating of a chamber are moistened by means of a current of moist air, the moist air being admitted at the top of the chamber and drawn off from below the bales. One of the main disadvantages of this process is the fact that the tobacco bales are not evenly moistened, i.e., they show different degrees of humidity, as there are varying climatic conditions within the chamber. This results from an uneven distribution of the moist air, which is admitted through an opening which is small when compared to the total area covered by the grating and the bales. Even when equalizing the distribution of humidity by a corresponding increase in the period of treatment, those bales which are in the more humid zones at the beginning of the treatment will still be moister than the other bales. To cover the large area of the grating within the chamber is a rather cumbersome task, as the bales are conveyed by vehicles from the warehouse to the chamber and have to be put onto the grating, whereby a further obstacle is encountered, namely that covering of those sections of the grating which are not covered with packing tape is obstructed by the walls of the chamber. This wearisome work also requires longer interruptions in the running of the chamber.

According to the invention these disadvantages are avoided, and the process is characterized in that the tobacco bales are put on movable carrying grates used for conveying them from a store to a treating chamber and are conveyed into a tunnel adapted to be shut off tightly, and that the carrying grates are sealed off against the -walls of the tunnel, and that a current of moist air is passed in several successive intervals through the bales resting on the carrying grates with which they were supplied into the tunnel, and that after each interval some of the carrying grates with moistened bales are discharged from the tunnel while at the same time the same number of carrying grates with dry bales is supplied into the tunnel causing thereby the carrying grates still in the tunnel to be moved forward. As the carrying grates are gradually advanced through the tunnel, which according to the process is achieved by discharging some of the carrying grates from the tunnel and by supplying the same number of carrying grates into the tunnel, all bales pass through the various climatic zones in the tunnel under equal conditions, and therefore show the same degree of humidity 'when leaving the tunnel. For economical purposes the carrying grates should suitably be arranged closely to each other, in order to obtain a large cover area. According to the invention this process also simplies and facilitates the handling of dry bales which can be put onto the carrying grates in the store for conveyance to the tunnel, whereby the packing tapes can also be put between the bales. The duration of the moistening intervals between two feeding operations depends on the extent of humidity the bales are to have, and ou the amount, temperature, humidity, and pressure of the current or currents of moist air.

According to the invention the apparatus for carrying out the process according to the invention is characterized in that the carrying grates are provided with gratings which are enclosed by frames, and in that the gaps between the frames and the longitudinal walls of the tunnel are sealed oif with elastic packing strips which rest closely on the frames in order to divide the tunnel horizontally into two sections by means of the gratings of these closely arranged carrying grates, and in that the tunnel doors, as well as the frames are provided with elastic packing strips so that the frames it closely to the doors of the tunnel and to the other frames. The carrying grates and their packing against the longitudinal walls and the doors of the tunnel according to the invention not only ensure proper function of the grates extending over the whole tunnel, but also the easy and simple advance of the carrying grates through the tunnel.

In the drawings which represent an embodiment of the apparatus, further characteristics of the invention are shown by way of example. FIGURES 1 to 3 show the apparatus in longitudinal sectional views along line I-I of FIG. 3 and along line -II-II of FIG. l, and in a transverse sectional view along line IIL-III of FIGURE 2; FIG@ URES 4 and 5 show enlarged views of a section along line IVIV of FIG. 2 and of the front of the apparatus, and FIGURES 6` and 7 show a detail in a side and top View, respectively.

According to FIGURES l to 5 the tunnel as an embodiment of the apparatus serves to moisten tobacco bales 2 which rest on six carrying grates 1. The carrying grates are moved through the tunnel in a specic movement, i.e., after each of the successive moistening intervals, which are completely alike in their conditions, the rst carrying grate in line is discharged from the tunnel, while another carrying grate loaded with dry bales is admitted into the tunnel, whereby the ve carrying grates which remain in the tunnel are advanced by the length of one grating. Consequently each carrying grate stays in the tunnel for six moistening intervals and passes through six tunnel sections; the various climatic zones in the tunnel are thereby equalized, achieving thus uniform moistening as desired. It is also possible to exchange more than one carrying grate at a time. The carrying grates are provided with undercarriages 3 and consist of gratings 5, enclosed by frames 4, and loaded with bales, whose tobacco leaves are in a vertical position in relation to the gratings. When aranged closely together, the carrying grates divide the tunnel horizontally into two sections 6, 7. In orderto produce moist air two air-moistening appliances are provided, which consist each of a ventilator 8, a heating device 9, and an air-moistener 10, and fitted into the longitudinal channels 11, 12. The current or the currents of moist air-depending on whether one or both air-moistening appliances are working-can be conducted from the longitudinal channels into the upper section of the tunnel 6, through the bales 2 and into the lower section 7, or in the opposite direction, as will be explained below in more detail. For reasons of higher eiliciency the Imoist air in the tunnel should only penetrate the tobacco bales. For this reason the areas of the lgrating 5, which are not covered by bales, have to be packed, just as the carrying grates have to be sealed off against each other, as well as against the doors 13, 14 and the longitudinal walls 15, 16 of the tunnel. The packing of the empty spaces between the tobacco bales which rest on the carrying grate is done outside the tunnel by means of rubber or plastic bands 17, as is already known. Since the frames 4 of the carying grates are wide enough-as can be seen from FIGURES 4 and 5-the outer edges of the bales rest on the frame so that it is not necessary to seal olf the frames. In order to seal oi the carrying grates against the tunnel doors, the side faces of the frames which run across the tunnel are provided with elastic bands 18, made, e.g., of rubber, whereby elastic bands 20 are also attached to the doors at the level of the carrying grates. The carrying grates are sealed olf against the longitudinal walls 15, 16 of the tunnel by means of packing rails 21 which run along the walls of the tunnel, closely adhere to them, and rest on the frames of the carrying grates during moistening. Lifting, in order to admit and discharge the carrying grates, and lowering, in order to seal off the carrying grates, of the packing rails is done automatically together with the moving device for the doors, which are embodied as trap doors which are linked to the tunnel walls 15, 16 by means of legs 22, 23, and move simultaneously on account of a reciprocating piston device 24 attached to each door. Cranks 26 are keyed on the ends of the axes 25 of the legs 22, which are connected with the packing rails by means of ropes 27. When opening the doors they swing over the ceiling of the tunnel; at the same time the cranks 26 are turned in a counter-clockwise direction, whereby the ropes lift the packing rails by to 2O mm., which suffices for admitting and discharging the carrying grates.

In order to ensure that the packing rails, which are also provided with elastic bands 28, entirely cover the frames of the carrying grates, the carrying grates rest on straight roller conveyors 29, which run along the longitudinal walls below the packing rails, whereby the undercarriages of the carrying grates are lifted from the floor of the tunnel. In order to avoid difficulties when driving the carrygrates up to the roller conveyor, ascending and descending platforms 30 and 31 are provided, whose driving surfaces are arranged at a distance from the gliding surfaces of the roller conveyors, which corresponds to the height of the undercarriages of the carrying grates.

On account of another device, which is provided on the floor of the tunnel and which is shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 apart from the tunnel -for reasons of clearness, one carrying grate is admitted, while another one is discharged, whereby the carrying grates which remain in the tunnel are advanced simultaneously. This device consists of a cable pull 32 with two stable rollers 33, 34 and two movable rollers 36, 37, which are located on an axis, and are moved by means of a hydraulic cylinder 35. That part of the cable 38, which moves over the rollers 34, 36, is connected with bars 39, 40, which are moved in the direction of the piston rod 41 of the hydraulic cylinder. The free ends of the bars are provided with noses 42, which cooperate with counter-supports 43, attached to the undercarriage for the advance of the carrying grates, and can be turned over against the advance direction when moving without load. Furthermore, outside the tunnel the bars run in grooves 44, tted into the platforms, so that they do not interfere with the ascending and descending of the carrying grates. The longitudinal channels 11, 12, where the moistening appliances 8, 9, 10 are accommodated, are provided with openings 45, 46 which lead into the upper section of the tunnel 6 and are located on the bottoms of the channels and close to their ends. Furthermore, there are chutes 47, 48 which are connected with the longitudinal channels through openings 49, 50, and with the lower section of the tunnel 7 through openings 51, 52. The openings 45, 49 and 46, 50 cooperate with valves 53 and 54, respectively, which help to close either of the openings.

When moistening by means of one current of moist air the openings 49, 50 or 45, 46 are closed with the valves 53, 54 of the longitudinal channel whose moistening appliance is stopped. When the air-moistening appliance in channel 11 is put into operation, valve 53 closes the opening 49 between the longitudinal channel 11 and the chute 47, and valve 54 closes the opening 46 between the longitudinal channel and the upper section of the tunnel, in order to conduct the current of moist air, whose circulation is indicated in FIGURE l by ilow pattern 55. The moist air therefore Hows through the opening 45 from the longitudinal channel into the upper section of the tunnel, through the bales 2, into the lower section of the tunnel, and back into the longitudinal channel through opening 52 and chute 48. For reasons of clearness the line of flow is shown only for one set of bales. However, the moist air, when entering from the longitudinal channel, spreads out in the upper section of the tunnel and penetrates all the bales which rest on the carrying grates.

When both moistening appliances are put into operation, obtaining thus two currents of moist air which penetrate the bales in the same direction, the valves 53, 54 of the longitudinal channels are put into the same position as in the case of one current of moist air. By adjusting the valves correspondingly it is possible to conduct one or both currents of moist air from the lower to the upper section of the tunnel or to lead them in opposite directions.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for moistening tobacco bales, comprising:

la plurality of carrying grates adapted to receive thereon tobacco bales,

each of said carrying grates including a grating enclosed by a frame and defining a gap between each pair of adjacent frames,

longitudinal walls dening a tunnel and having closable tunnel doors, said tunnel being adapted to receive therein in closed arrangement said plurality of carrying grates with a gap between said frame of each of said grates and said longitudinal walls,

said carrying grates dividing said tunnel horizontally into two sections,

means for opening and closing, respectively, said tunnel doors,

means for providing at least one current of moist air within said tunnel through said tobacco bales,

first elastic packing strips sealing off said gaps between said adjacent frames and said longitudinal walls of said tunnel respectively, and resting closely on said frames, and

second elastic packing strips between said tunnel doors and said frames to t closely said frames to said tunnel doors and to the remaining of said frames.

2. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

roller support means mounted along said longitudinal walls of Said tunnel and below said packing strips,

said carrying grates including undercarriages,

said frames of said carrying grates in said tunnel resting on said roller support means, and

said undercarriages being lifted from the oor of said tunnel.

3. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

an ascending and descending platform attached to said tunnel adjacent said tunnel doors, respectively, and extending outside of Said tunnel, and

said platforms having upper surfaces vertically spaced apart at a distance from said roller supports means,

said distance corresponding to the height of said undercarriages of said carrying grates.

4. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, which includes:

means for automatically raising and lowering said elastic packing strips between said frames and longitudinal walls. 5. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said means for automatically raising and lowering said last-mentioned elastic packing strips comprises, link means moving said doors as trap doors, and cranks connected with said last-mentioned elastic packing strips by means of ropes,

axles supporting said link means on said longitudinal walls of said tunnel, and said cranks are provided on said axles.

6. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, which includes:

a cable pull having two stable rollers and two movable rollers,

a hydraulic cylinder operating said movable rollers,

two bars connecting a part of said cable of said cable pull running over one of said stable rollers and one of said movable rollers,

counter-supports attached to said undercarriages of said carrying grates, and

nose projections extending from the free ends of said two bars and cooperating with said counter-supports.

7. The apparatus, as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said tunnel defines on its top at least one longitudinal channel,

air-moistening means disposed in said at least one longitudinal channel,

said at least one longitudinal channel communicating with the upper section of said tunnel,

a chute providing communication with the lower section of said tunnel, and

valve means disposed in said at least one longitudinal channel, and connecting one end of said at least one longitudinal channel with said upper section of said tunnel and the other end of said at least one longitudinal channel with said lower section of said tunnel by means of said chute.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,555,779 9/1925 Victor 131-136 X 1,611,632 12/1926 Cantoni 34-216 X 2,591,026 4/1952 Touton 131-136 2,899,189 8/1959 Matis et al. 34--216 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examinar.

I. H. CZERWONKY, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 34-56, 216, 225 

